Anne-Sophie Pic's cooking school is about to close its doors, but for a good reason

Pauline Masotta | 9/6/23

Scook, the PIC Group's cooking school and éPICerie in Valence, are closing for three years. A justified temporary closure.

Passing on know-how? A priority for Anne-Sophie Pic, chef for 20 years. So it's hardly surprising that, under her impetus, the Scook School was created in 2008. It's a friendly place where budding gourmets enjoy bringing to life the recipes that awaken their taste buds. But sad news for those wishing to sign up for the new school year: the school will close its doors on September 30, 2023, along with the éPICerie located opposite, on rue Danton in Valence.

A strategic closure

Nothing to worry about. The school and the grocery store are not doomed to never exist again. Quite the contrary, in fact. With sales expected to reach 32 million euros by 2022, the Pic group has never been in better shape. Over the years, however, customer needs have evolved. The 15-year-old premises need a breath of fresh air. "We have a huge number of requests for video lessons, and we're not equipped for that, so we would have had to redo everything," David Sinapian, president of the Pic group, tells France Bleu Drôme Ardèche. "This would have meant major work and a substantial investment, which would have made no sense given that we plan to play a full part in Valence's gastronomic hub," continues David Sinapian.

Leaving to come back

The idea of closing the Scook school and the éPICerie was therefore prompted by a number of upcoming projects. In particular, the involvement of the Pic group and the chef in the gastronomic hub project currently underway in the lower town, which is due to open its doors to the public in 2026. Naturally, the group wants to locate its school and sales outlet there. "Closing today to bounce back there will also free up our energy for other projects in the meantime, such as the two foreign openings planned for this autumn, which require a lot of work", explained the group's president.

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